Education Commons^™

School Climate Measurement And Analysis, Adrian J. Vandenberg

Master of Education Program Theses

This action research project examined the concept of school climate and measured and analyzed school climate data in a mixed methods study at an independent school in British Columbia. In this study, 341 students participated in a survey which included demographic questions and items from the School Climate Measure (SCM). The quantitative data from the survey measured the school climate in 10 different domains at the school and was used to compare and analyze different subgroups within the student population. Six students were also interviewed to collect qualitative data and analyze the school climate more comprehensively. The data and subsequent …

Beating The Odds: Counter Narratives Of Thriving Students Of Color At Dominantly White Faith-Based Institutions, Rebecca Kuhn

Faculty Dissertations

Graduation rates of students of color in the United States remain virtually unchanged, despite 50 years of institutions implementing programs and services to increase success among students of color (de Brey et al., 2019). The disparity in undergraduate degree completion rates between White college students and students of color indicates systemic barriers to student success remain pervasive. This qualitative study employs hermeneutic phenomenology to analyze and interpret the lived experiences of 10 thriving students of color at dominantly White faith-based institutions. Schreiner’s (2010a) holistic student success construct of thriving and Harper’s (2012a) Anti-Deficit Achievement Framework provide the conceptual frameworks for …

Curriculum Design And Instructional Practices : A Case Study Use Of Theory In Accelerated Adult Learning Programs, Lorraine V. Beach

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

This is a qualitative case study that examined four institutions of higher education in New York to assess how well they have done at implementing a quality standard established by the Commission on Accelerated Programs (CAP) in 2011 and 2019 calling for accelerated adult programs to incorporate adult learning theory within their curricula and instructional practices. Data collection consisted of interviews with faculty and staff, documentation reviews, and classroom observations. Through iterative case review processes, the author used this data to: a) clarify organizational policy and practices at each of the colleges/universities; and then b) to identify the impact of …

Lived Experiences During International Service Learning: A Semiotic Analysis Of Photo Journals, Catherine E. Dobbins, Kristin E. Gibson, Leslie D. Edgar, Kim E. Dooley

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

International service learning (ISL) is a pedagogical approach used to prepare students to be global citizens and has emerged as a popular short-term program model for international experiences. Few studies of ISL have integrated semiotic photo analysis into their evaluations. Combining students’ photographs with text encourages reflection on knowledge and experiences as well as how they are related. The current study used semiotic analysis to understand the lived experiences of students on an ISL to Guatemala. The participatory nature of the research process was critical to the semiotic analysis, as the researchers had an understanding of the cultural perspectives and …

The Degree Of Principals' Practice Of Evaluating The Performance Of Teachers In Jordanian Secondary Schools From The Point Of View Of Principals Themselves, سليمان محمد أبو شارب, خالد علي السرحان

Jordanian Educational Journal

This study aimed at investigating the status quo of principals' practices of evaluating the performance of teachers in Jordanian secondary schools from the point of view of the principals themselves. To achieve this goal, the survey method was used. The sample consisted of 567 male/female principals in Jordanian secondary schools. To answer the study questions, means, standard deviations and t-test were calculated for independent samples. The results were as follows:

- The average of principals' practices of evaluating teachers' performance in Jordanian secondary schools was (3.82), and with a standard deviation of (0.44) and a high degree of use.

- …

An Empirical Study Of Design Parameters For Planning Two-Level And Three-Level Cluster Randomized Trials To Detect Moderator Effects, Qi Zhang

Dissertations

In the last two decades, we have seen an increasing number of impact studies in education that are designed to detect a meaningful average treatment effect, which answers the what works question. Recently, researchers have started to consider how to expand the design of impact studies to answer questions regarding the treatment effect heterogeneity across different contexts, such as for whom and under what conditions programs work. Answering these questions is imperative in the quest to make evidence-based and context-relevant decisions to improve educational outcomes for all students.

Many of the impact studies utilize a cluster randomized trial (CRT). CRTs …

The Evaluation Of Schools To College And Career (S2c) Readiness Program For Middle School Student, Sima D. Gandhi

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

There is a lack of research on what it means to be college and career ready at the middle school level, and this creates confusion for students when they enter high school and must select courses that are aligned with their college and career goals. This study sought to understand how the Schools to College and Career (S2C) Readiness Program impacts middle school students at the charter school. In order to understand this impact, the study looked at how the S2C Readiness Program relates to students’ understanding and awareness of CCR at the school.

Using a quantitative approach this study …

Charter Schools’ Accountability: A Program Evaluation Of The Charter Oversight Unit Of The California Department Of Education, Chaddrick L. Owes

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a qualitative-based program evaluation that explored the existing charter school accountability measures, processes, and oversight systems of the California Department of Education (CDE) in relation to State Board of Education (SBE)-authorized charter schools. This dissertation further explored the potential program improvements that could be implemented to improve the charter school oversight functions of the SBE and CDE. After a charter school receives authorization and approval to operate, the degrees of accountably and oversight vary dependent upon the charter authorizer and the oversite entity. This dissertation study aimed to discover how charter schools authorized by the SBE are …

Validity Of The Responses To Feedback Survey : Operationalizing And Measuring Students' Cognitive And Affective Responses To Teacher Feedback, Angela M. Lui

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

In 1998, Black and Wiliam used the term the black box to illustrate how little was known about what happens in classrooms. Their review spawned a great deal of research on formative assessment, including strategies for giving feedback to students. More recently, scholars in the field of classroom assessment and measurement have expressed the need for research on how students understand, interpret, and process feedback. I call this the new black box.

The Reliability Of Single-Item Assessments, Sijun Zhang

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Single-item assessments have become more popular recently in distinct areas, even though there is no consensus about whether they are sufficiently reliable. Researchers have developed methods to estimate the reliability of single-item assessments, some are based on factor analysis (method FA), correction for attenuation (method CA), and others employ Molenaar and Sijtsma’s theory (method MS), coefficient λ6 (method λ6), or latent class model (method LCRC). However, no empirical study has investigated which method estimates the reliability of single-item assessment most precisely. This study investigated this question via a simulation study. To represent assessments as found in practice, the simulation study …

Expanding Outcomes In Educational Program Evaluation: Student Outcomes, Systemic Effects, And Policy Implications, Heidi Lauren Holmes

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Education policy debates over the last twenty years have focused on the need to increase students’ test scores. The federal government and states have implemented and expanded a variety of test-based, school accountability policies. Accountability pressures have incentivized schools to narrow their curriculum, decrease time allocated to extracurricular activities, and focus on short-term student outcomes. This dissertation focuses on expanding outcomes in educational program evaluations and demonstrates the value of looking beyond the goal of increasing student test scores. The first chapter, using random assignment, estimates the causal effects of culturally enriching field trips on various student outcomes. Such field …

Assessment And Evaluation In Online Learning, Ross A. Perkins

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Humans are evaluative by nature. It is quite likely one of the essential characteristics of our species that has allowed us to persist for hundreds of thousands of years. Despite what might be considered our almost instinctual inclination to assess or evaluate, we do not always do it well. There are any number of examples of the wrong questions being asked, or the wrong data being collected, or the wrong analysis being conducted, or the wrong conclusions being drawn. An aphorism, perhaps especially well known to readers of this text, warns, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” The maxim …

Identifying Exceptionally Performing Third Grades In Indiana: Who Is To Blame?, Emily Troyer

Honor Scholar Theses

Federal and state governments want to know that their constituents' tax dollars are being spent well, and that public education is serving the People well. To assess a school's efficacy, they calculate an accountability score. Although state-level scoring systems vary, neither the federal law nor a single state's law require that demographic characteristics of a school's student population be held constant when it is being evaluated. This complicates the assessment of a school's adequacy because factors outside of a school's control influence student performance; when a school is evaluated without taking this into account, it is being unfairly credited with …

The Associations Between The Perception Of Helpfulness Of Teacher Induction Programs, Teacher Self-Efficacy, And Anticipated First-Year Teacher Retention In Shanghai Public Primary Schools, Xiaotian Han

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to: (a) determine to what extent the formalized teacher induction programs (TIPs) in Shanghai are perceived to be helpful for first-year public primary school teachers; (b) measure teacher self-efficacy and anticipated job retention of first-year teachers in Shanghai public primary schools; and (c) examine the degree to which these perceptions of helpfulness, teacher self-efficacy, and anticipated job retention are associated. In this study, retention is defined as remaining in a public primary school in Shanghai. Shanghai TIPs are one-year long, mandatory programs for first-year teachers in Shanghai public primary schools. The conceptual framework of …

Positive Behavior Intervention And Supports Impact On Discipline In An Alternative School, Alina Michelle Harges

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this sequential-explanatory mixed methods study was to first determine what impact if any did Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) have on the number of office disciplinary referrals (ODRs) received by students after three years of implementation. The second part of the study was to obtain feedback through interviews from the administrator and certified teachers on their perspectives of PBIS implementation in this rural alternative school setting. Quantitative data was collected first folloby the collection of the qualitative data. This method of data collection was necessary in order for the researcher to make better sense of quantitative …

Designing Program Evaluation Outcomes To Mirror Council For Human Services Education (Cshse) Standards At The Baccalaureate Degree Level, Kristy L. Carlisle, Shuntay Z. Tarver, Mark C. Rehfuss

Counseling & Human Services Faculty Publications

The article highlights the designing program evaluation and its maintenance with the Council for Human Services Education (CSHSE) standards at the baccalaureate degree level in universities & colleges. Topics include that CSHSE requires all accredited human services educational programs to articulate strategies for improving their programs and its importance in the accreditation process.

Predictive Validity Of I-Ready Diagnostic Scores For High-Stakes Test Outcomes With Middle School Students : A Program Evaluation, Rachel Eva Aguilar

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Assessment is a powerful tool that can be utilized to enhance teaching and learning. Within a response-to-intervention (RtI) framework, data collected via assessment are used to measure student proficiency, track progress, and subsequently align instruction with student learning needs. The purpose of this program evaluation was to explore the use of a computer-adaptive testing (CAT) measure, i-Ready Diagnostic, as part of a rural middle school’s assessment process, within an RtI model. This program evaluation sought to gather evidence regarding the ability of different i-Ready reading and math measures, administered in the fall, winter, and spring, to predict student performance on …

Capstone Assessment As Faculty Development, Rowanna L. Carpenter, Seanna M. Kerrigan, Vicki Reitenauer

University Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Portland State University (PSU) is a public institution in Portland, Oregon, serving 28,000 students, including 23,000 undergraduates. PSU implemented Capstone courses in 1995 as the culminating experience in the revised general education program, University Studies (UNST). Capstones at PSU are community‐based courses composed of interdisciplinary teams of students actively engaged with community partners, designed to address the UNST learning goals (inquiry and critical thinking; communication; ethics and social responsibility; and diversity, equity, and social justice). Each Capstone course creates one or more collaboratively developed final products intended to serve the community partner.

In this article, we describe the evolution of …

Assessment As Critical Programmatic Reflection, Vicki Reitenauer, Rowanna L. Carpenter

Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article argues that general education assessment is an opportunity for engaging faculty and the general education program as a whole in critical reflection on the practices and pedagogies that affect the entire undergraduate body. Through intentional assessment practices tied to learning outcomes, pedagogical expectations, and faculty and student classroom experience, an assessment program can meet accreditation expectations while serving as a rich location for critical reflection and continuous improvement. To illustrate, this article takes the reader through a year in the life of University Studies' assessment at Portland State University. It provides details about the individual elements of our …

Exploring The Relationship Between Innovation In Nursing Education And Clinical Practice, Francia Ianthia Reed

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

ABSTRACT

Childhood Fitness And Academic Achievement: An Exploration Into The Effect Of Physical Fitness Scores On Academic Assessment Tests, Kevin Vanderwal

Master of Education Program Theses

This research study examines the correlation between the effects of physical fitness scores on academic assessment tests. The study examines students’ PACER scores and what impact that causes with the MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) test. The study included a sample of 147 students from a large Midwestern elementary school of fifth graders. The study found that PACER scores seems to have a positive relationship with students’ MAP scores; that improving on the PACER does not show significant gains to show a connection between the two variables; that high BMI scores can indicate lower MAP scores and that lower BMI …

Visual Formative Assessment And Learning Styles, Julie Pickard

Master of Education Program Theses

This action research study investigated the impact of visual formative assessments on the achievement levels of students with visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning styles. The study was conducted in four classes of freshmen at Southwest Christian High School in Chaska, MN, with a total of eighty-four participants. Two pairs were created for the study with control and treatment groups in each pair. Students were classified according to learning style, and a unit pre-test was administered to identify growth. Treatment groups were instructed using daily visual formative assessments for the duration of the unit. Students were assessed again at the end …

The Impact Of A Value-Added Model On Educational Leadership Practices In Northwest Louisiana, Candice D. Webert

Doctoral Dissertations

This study addressed the impact of VAM, concerns with VAM data, uses and interventions educational leaders provided teachers, and components perceived as necessary for VAM effectiveness as an evaluation tool. The demographics used for this study were position, school size, and experience. Due to the documented need for educational accountability from the 1960s to present, the knowledge gained in this study was valuable. While the initiative was implemented as a response to increased accountability, the perceptions and understanding of such new initiatives can impact their effectiveness; in turn, impacting educational leadership. This study focused on the effectiveness of VAM.

In …

Exploring Validity Of Computer-Based Test Scores With Examinees' Response Behaviors And Response Times, Fusun Sahin

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Examining the testing processes, as well as the scores, is needed for a complete understanding of validity and fairness of computer-based assessments. Examinees’ rapid-guessing and insufficient familiarity with computers have been found to be major issues that

Support Networks Of “Educational Pioneers”: A Methodological Approach For Examining The Impact Of A Residential Learning Community On First-Generation Students, Ryan R. Setari

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the use of social network analysis to examine the peer involvement and supportive relationships of students living within an exclusively first-generation RLC. Using network surveys targeted toward a first-generation population, the networks of first-year residents were visualized and measured. The supportive peer relationships that provided students with encouragement, validation, and academic assistance were identified, as well as the networks for friendship and study partnership. The networks identified for this study were examined to find if change occurred between the start and the end of the semester. Multiple regression QAPs were performed to …

A Study Of Theatre Teacher And School Administrator Perceptions Of Traits, Characteristics, And Instructional Practices And Their Possible Role In Teacher Evaluation, James D. Chrismon

Education Dissertations and Projects

This applied dissertation was designed to gather similarities and differences in the perceptions of theatre teachers and administrators regarding instructor traits, instructor characteristics, and instructional practices of effective theatre teacher. Current teacher evaluation systems focus on teacher effectiveness on student learning, and typically do not provide valuable feedback for teachers in highly specialized fields such as the arts, and specifically theatre arts.

One-on-one interviews were conducted with eight theatre teachers and eight administrators from eight different schools across the state of South Carolina to gather qualitative data on the similarities and differences in perceptions of instructor traits, instructor characteristics, and …

Standards-Based Assessment In A Developmental Math Course, Valorie L. Zonnefeld, Michal Huizenga, Aaron Van Beek, Kate Van Weelden

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

Learn why we decided to try standards-based instruction in an undergraduate, developmental algebra course and what we learned in the process.

Predicting Positive Education Outcomes For Emerging Adults In Mental Health Systems Of Care, Eileen M. Brennan, Peggy Nygren, Robert L. Stephens, Adrienne Croskey

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Emerging adults who receive services based on positive youth development models have shown an ability to shape their own life course to achieve positive goals. This paper reports secondary data analysis from the Longitudinal Child and Family Outcome Study including 248 culturally-diverse youth ages 17 through 22 receiving mental health services in systems of care. After 12 months of services, school performance was positively related to youth ratings of school functioning, and service participation and satisfaction. Regression analysis revealed ratings of young peoples’ perceptions of school functioning and their experience in services added to the significant prediction of satisfactory school …

Investigating The Impact Of Cad Simulations On Student Design Thinking, Manaz R. Taleyarkhan

Open Access Theses

Facilitating students to become informed designers is a goal in engineering education that has been proposed by multiple studies. The use of Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software has been used as a learning tool to promote design thinking in practical settings for undergraduate students. However, very little is known about the informed design process undertaken by these students while using the interactive and learning focused CAD tool to solve design challenges. This paper analyzes the nature of design thinking that happens when students use a particular CAD tool. In this study, I have adapted Crismond and Adams' Informed Design Teaching and …

Resources Preservice Teachers Use To Think About Student Writing, Leah A. Zuidema, James E. Fredricksen

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

This article identifies five categories of resources that preservice teachers drew on as they considered student writing and planned their own approaches to assessing and teaching writing. Identifying these resources helps us better understand how beginning writing teachers think about student writing—and better understand mismatches that commonly occur between what teacher educators teach and what new teachers actually do. Our study builds on literature that considers how writing teachers are prepared, extends research about how preservice teachers use what they learn,and adds layers of detail to literature about the resources that beginning teachers draw upon to aid and support them …